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Personal Rapid Transit at Thistle Heathrow Terminal 5

Terminal 5 Pods at Heathrow Airport

What is the Heathrow Pod?

The Heathrow Pods are a fleet of automatic driverless electronic vehicles that transport customers between London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 and the Thistle Hotel in just 5 minutes.

How much does it cost?

Using the POD costs £8 per person for each journey made.

Heathrow Pods operating times*:

04:00 am to 12:15 am - Daily.

Directions:

FROM TERMINAL 5 INTERNATIONAL ARRIVALS TO THISTLE LONDON HEATHROW
1. Turn right out of Arrivals (windows to your left).
2. Head towards the meeting point north sign, past M&S Simply Food and turn left at the yellow exit sign towards the lifts.
3. Take the lift to Level 2 (Business Car Park) to Heathrow Pod station.
4. Please leave your trolleys before the barriers.
5. Make your way to any of the screens next to Heathrow Pods.
6. Touch the screen and it will give you two options - press Station B and then press OK. The Pod doors will open automatically.
7. Once you are in the Heathrow Pod press ‘Close’ to shut the door.
8. Press ‘Start’. (it will take exactly 5 minutes to reach STATION B)
9. Turn right when you exit the Heathrow Pod and then turn left for a few yards until you see a steel gate on the right that states ‘Access to Thistle Heathrow’.
10. Please press the ‘Call’ button. The hotel Receptionist will ask for your name or confirmation number and you will be given a 4-digit code to enter followed by #.
11. After entering the code please pull the door and follow the green footpath in front of you which will lead to our Reception entrance. You will then see an internal door that says ‘Reception’. You will be required to pay the money at Reception for using the Heathrow Pod. (Heathrow Pod fee is £8.00 per person one way)

FROM TERMINAL 5 POD PARKING DOMESTIC ARRIVALS TO THISTLE LONDON HEATHROW

As soon as you come out of Arrivals, take the exit after the Giraffe Juice Bar on your right and you will see the lifts in front of you – FYI – please follow the directions from Point 3 above to continue your journey to Thistle Heathrow.

FROM THISTLE LONDON HEATHROW TO TERMINAL 5 POD PARKING

1. Purchase your Heathrow Pod ticket (£8 per person) from Reception which will have unique 4-digit code to allow you through the gate.
2. Go through the door opposite Reception (marked Car Park A) and follow the green path and signs to T5 Pod.
3. When you reach the steel gate enter your 4-digit code followed by the # key. Turn left and look for Station B.
4. Touch the screen – it will ask “Where do you want to go?” Press ‘Terminal 5’ and ‘OK’. If not already there, a Pod will arrive in moments.
5. Enter Heathrow Pod, press ‘Close’ button and then ‘Start’. Your journey will take exactly 5 minutes to Terminal 5 and you will arrive at Car Park Level 2, Business Parking.
6. When you exit the Pod, go to the adjacent lifts and press ‘Departures Level 5’ for Departures. From Heathrow Express and Underground station, you need to take the lift to Arrivals which is based on Level (0) and follow the same procedure. Please keep in mind that while taking the lift to Arrivals it will go first to Departures and then Arrivals (Lift has been programmed).

Free transfer between terminals. 

You can now travel between terminals 2,3,4,5 for free using the London Underground Service & Shuttle Trains (Elizabeth Line & Heathrow Express) that run every 15 minutes and take about 20 minutes to travel between terminals. These services require Transport for London Oyster card or contactless payment mechanism, or you can get the tickets at the terminal, to activate the ticket gates, but no charge is applied for inter–terminal transfers.

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